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Some friends I've worked with
Damir Simic/Tony
MacAlpine Scrapbook
Headlining with Chris Poland
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Onstage with Tony & Shime
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Tony shows me that real
men DO play piano!
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Our web mistress, Tammy Ross
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Takara Scrapbook
Neal & I exchange
victory-nuggies at the Takara release party, as former drummer Chad Clarke
looks on |
 Me
& Jen, entertaining our friend and Takara webmaster, Mr. Darrell
Sensing, on 4th of July.
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Recurring guest bassist
Bob Daisley
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Goofing off with the extended Takara
family |
Sandwiched
between Joe Booe (7 Months) and Neal Grusky (Takara) at the
Perceptions of Reality release party
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![[sword]](bands/takpics/sword_small.jpg) Outtake
from Takara shoot, 1996. They set off firecrackers around my bare
feet to get this pose...
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With
Jeff Scott Soto in 2002
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A loyal fan drew up this cartoon art of
the band
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While hanging out with Neal
and some fans from Europe, we met this girl...
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Former Takara bassist
Gary Schutt tries to prop up bassist Carl DeMarco, along with Neal, Jeff
and myself
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Press Clippings
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The following are press clippings from
 magazine. |
More coverage for Blind in Paradise
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This ad is featuring Eternity, our
"best-of" compilation
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This is promoting the label's annual
"MVP" compilation album. They actually created a calendar featuring a
different band for each month. (We were November. ; )
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Other folks I have worked
with...
 Erik
Norlander, Greg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani) and members of
Vox Tempus
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Black 13: Ricky Riccardo, myself, Richard Black (Shark Island,
Contraband), Simon Wright (AC/DC, Dio), Shime
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Tony Franklin (Whitesnake, Blue Murder, The Firm)
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 My
childhood friend Jack Frost (Seven Witches, Savatage), with Joey
Vera & Ray Alder (Fates Warning)
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Dizzy Reed of Guns & Roses |
Sandwiched
between my friend Ty Longley, (who died onstage with Great White), and Joe
Booe (7 Months).
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![[PHIL WOLFE]](pictures/wolfe_small.jpg)
Phil Wolfe (Impelliteri)
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Simon Wright (currently
playing with Ronnie James Dio).
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Joshua Perahia (Jaguar,
Joshua) |
Dre Allen
(IV Xample) and Dawn Robinson (En Vogue, Lucy Pearl)
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....and folks I almost
worked with...
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Rikki Rockett of Poison
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CC Deville
of Poison
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Billy Sheehan (David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, Steve
Vai)
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Virgil Donati (Steve Vai, Planet X)
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....and some that I simply got
to know.
Rough Cutt
I spent a lot of time with the guys in Rough Cutt during the two
years that they reformed and recorded their latest album. I'm also
featured in the band's most recent video, I Believe. The
Shortino's and the Crespo's are wonderful people, and I am blessed to have been
a part of their magic. This is a small sampling of the pile of pictures
from that time.
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With the
awesome Paul Shortino
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Paul Shortino & Jimmy
Crespo
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Paul holds his wife Carmen, I hold
Paul's ass, and the fans jockey for the rest
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L-R JT Garrett,
Rudy Sarzo, Paul Shortino, Jeff Kollman
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Jimmy Crespo (formerly of
Aerosmith) & I admire each other's outfits.
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The new Rough
Cutt: Paul Shortino, Sean McNabb,
& Jimmy Crespo
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For awhile, Paul sang with
Quiet Riot
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The Dream Theater Fiasco
At some point in 1998-99, I turned to progressive music. It
seemed at the time that the only way I was ever gonna get to show what I could
do with a keyboard was to do an album in this genre. I joined Equinox (now
Vox Tempus), an up/coming prog band - and started checking out the people
already successful in this genre. The obvious group at the time was Dream
Theater.
At this time, Derek Sherinian had just left the band, and was
looking for new people to play with. He went the rounds, calling some of
my good friends about working with him on Planet X. He finally called me
at home, asking for Shime's home phone #. Okay, so I knew I was in the
right circles.
Dream Theater was coming to town during NAMM weekend, and I
dropped a good pile of cash on some concert tickets. The Dregs were
opening - this was the prog show of the year! My girlfriend found a
babysitter, and we headed out to Hollywood. As luck would have it, the
show was "oversold" - and we were denied admittance to the show!
The fire marshal eventually closed it down - but this was no consolation for
me. This was my introduction to prog. : (
Unfortunately for the Dream Theater guys, I knew where they were
gonna be all weekend - and I was sure to track them down, and see if they might
make it right. With all the times they have come back to town, I still
haven't gotten my $100 back, or even a free pass to a show. I guess that's
just the way it goes. But I give major props to Jordan Rudess - he was the
most sympathetic, and even allowed me to jam with him during a
demonstration! This was a real thrill, and from that day forward, I found
that the right doors started to open.
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Steve Morse (The
Dregs, Kansas, Deep Purple)
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John Petrucci
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Mike
Portnoy
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With Derek,
two weeks after he left Dream Theater
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Derek continues on
with Planet X (with
Tony MacAlpine, Virgil Donati)
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Jordan Rudess makes it all
right. :)
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Mike Kenneally
I first met Mike when he opened for us at The Rock, on
Topanga. We then found ourselves at the 1996 Rock City Music Awards,
waiting to pick up awards we had been nominated for...and lost. I had a
small entourage with me, and Mike and bassist Bryan Beller had a whole table to
themselves. Several rounds later, and we were pretty thick in it. : )
1998 was Mike's tenth anniversary in the business, marking the
time he had joined Frank Zappa's band. He invited me to a special
performance, where he performed the song Outside Now with Zappa
alum Ike
Willis for a small crowd. This was a special time for Mike, which has been
well documented on the Internet. I feel lucky to have been there during
that time.
The fact that my girlfriend generally gave Mike a lot of
attention, and took another guy to one his gigs behind my back, is not at all a reflection
on Mike. "Hey, that's not fair...I always liked....uh, what's his
name? Frank Zeppata...? What do you mean you want to keep the pictures of
Mike?" : )
I've seen Mike sporadically since he partnered up with another
Zappa alumni, Steve Vai. Mike is an amazing talent, and I continue to
cheer him on! : )
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![[KENNEALLY]](pictures/mikeken_small.jpg)
Mike Kenneally
at the Rock City News Awards, 10/96
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...and in 2002....
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...with Nick DiVirgilio
of Spock's Beard..
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![[sword]](bands/takpics/sword.jpg)
![[PHIL WOLFE]](pictures/wolfe.jpg)
![[KENNEALLY]](pictures/mikeken.jpg)
